Kicking a soccer ball improperly is common among inexperienced or young soccer students. Early in the development of the sport, kicking and passing techniques were taught almost exclusively by explanation and demonstration in which the teacher or the coach kicks or throws a ball at a practicing student who then attempts to kick or throw the ball back to the coach. This method tends to be intimidating (perhaps because of the instinctive defense reaction that is triggered when a person, such as the coach, intentionally and suddenly throws a ball at the student) and can reinforce improper techniques such as kicking the ball incorrectly (i.e. with wrong portion of the foot). This method further necessitates at least two persons, and a large area in which to train, but without doubt it provides the most realistic and skill-oriented training to the student. However, because two persons and sufficient training space are not always available, various training devices have been developed to enable self-training in smaller training areas.
Such devices are designed with the goals of (1) assisting in the development of effective techniques, (2) minimizing unproductive time, (3) maximizing the number of students which may practice in a given playing or practice field, and/or (4) improving ease of transport, setup, use and disassembly of such devices. The training devices most relevant to the present invention comprise portable rebounding nets which prevent the user from having to chase and retrieve the ball every time he or she kicks it. These devices focus on addressing the second and third design goals listed above. An example of such a device which is used by pitchers in training for baseball is the "CANVAS CATCHER" (.TM.). This invention is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,944,816 (the '816 patent) to Dixon. The '816 patent describes a device having a substantially vertical frame to which netting is attached and a buttress-like support fixable to the ground. In training for soccer, football, baseball, and basketball, the "PRACTICE PARTNER" (.TM.), described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,189 (the '189 patent) to Rajachich, may be used. The '189 patent describes an apparatus constructed of three net planes arranged in an inverted Y (or lambda) configuration such that two students may simultaneously use the apparatus by playing on opposite sides thereof. However, none of the rebound devices described above deal effectively with design goal one above, a significant consideration of which is to provide a means for the student to practice his quick return response thus helping sharpen the student's reflex or reaction time to a ball approaching him within a very short time interval from his last kick and at relatively high speed.
Another species of kick training device are those which provide some sort of attachment to the ball such that the ball may not leave the immediate vicinity of the student after it has been kicked. This sort of training device is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,280,922 to Jones, 4,616,834 to Davis, 5,083,797 to Vartija et al and 4,516,769 to Kopp. The most significant disadvantage to this species of training device is the interference which the attachment means has on the reaction of the ball to the student's kick. This interference causes the balls reaction to be unnatural and often unpredictable. Because, generally speaking, training devices are judged on their ability to simulate actual play, such devices which attach to the ball are not preferred and do not effectively address design goal one listed above. However, to their credit, these inventions do address design goals two through four effectively.
A need therefore exists for an improved training device which provides a means for a student to practice his quick return response thus helping the student sharpen his reflex or reaction time to a ball approaching suddenly and at relatively high speed, while at the same time eliminating attachments which interfere with the reaction of the ball to the student's kick, thus meeting the remaining design goals listed above.